Iconic is an often overused word, but when someone manages to not only profoundly shape their art form, but also stay relevant 20 something years into their career, the term is more than justified. Opening today at the ICA, Juergen Teller: W00 is an expansive study of the Erlangen-born photographer’s work.
From his black and white images of Kurt Cobain during Nirvana’s tour in 1991 to the provocative nudes of Vivienne Westwood, every honest and intimate portrait by the German photographer, alongside his longstanding collaborations with brands such as Helmut Lang and Marc Jacobs, not only commemorates his longevity as both a commercial and art photographer but also shows that aside from his trademark overexposed photography technique, what really makes a Juergen Teller image is his connection to the individual.
During a preview of the exhibition yesterday, Teller spoke openly about his work process and decades’ worth of pressing the shutter button:
“With every picture you have to be really open and honest about it and tell people what you want to do. I have no idea what I am looking for in an image, it really varies. I have to have complete concentration on the subject, I never have music playing or people standing behind me talking, it drives me crazy. I need the full attention, of their attention to me as I have attention to them, and that’s why it’s powerful and direct in every picture. My way of working hasn’t really changed that much since the beginning, but I have become a lot more careful, project-based and tend to work in series. I am more confident and secure within myself. I want to explore and see things, I’m curious about life. You only live once, you can’t just be miserable and complain all the time, you have to take risks to do something exciting and that’s what I try to do. You have to fucking go out there and do it.”
Juergen Teller: Woo exhibits at ICA until March 17.
The title of tonight’s event at LSE says it all: Women, Protest and the Nature of Female Rebellion. Hosted by journalist Laurie Penny, who currently writes for publications such as The Independent, the talk will look at courageous women throughout history, from the time of the Paris Commune through to the defiant ladies of Pussy Riot. There may have been years when it was unthinkable of a woman to raise her voice, but 2013 definitely isn’t one of them.
Women, Protest and the Nature of Female Rebellion runs from 6.30-8pm at the London School of Economic’s Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building.
This season Uslu Airlines have recruited a pair of co-pilots. The Berlin-based beauty brand have teamed up with Graffiti artist SuperBlast and the makers behind his artistic weapon of choice, spray-paint-specialists Montana, to create TRU: a new nail polish which reflects the same signature blue hue you will find featured in SuperBlast’s artwork. To accompany this creative cosmetic collaboration, Montana have also launched a limited edition version of their infamous spray can – both of which are available to buy now exclusively at Colette, Paris.
The brainchild of Consuelo Castiglioni, Marni is that quirky Italian label which always manages to put a new spin on its eclectic aesthetic. It’s only natural that the house’s first ever fragrance carry on that tradition.
The subtly masculine scent steers far away from stereotypical smells of femininity such as florals and saccharine sweetness. Instead, the crisp yet spicy top notes of bergamot, ginger and pink peppercorn make way for a rose, cardamom and cinnamon bark concoction, grounded by a woody accord of patchouli, incense, vetiver and cedarwood. So while there is a ‘feminine’ heart of rose notes, it is enveloped in multiple layers of spices and woody notes, making for an elusive, multi-faceted and original scent.
As a house renowned for its use of prints, the polka dot-covered and clean-lined bottle makes the fragrance come full circle to a pure olfactory reincarnation of the Marni brand.
MARNI launches exclusively at Harrods and Harrods.com in February.
This weekend we’ve been losing ourselves in the sounds of Tamaryn, a San Francisco based singer who fuses shoegaze with dream-pop through ambling guitar riffs, steady emphatic beats and soft ethereal vocals. Tamaryn and her creative partner-in-crime, Rex John Shelverton, will be touring Europe next month, opening with a London show on January 31.
The nineties revival brought back dungarees, and most recently the scrunchie, yet one love affair that doesn’t seem to be going anywhere is our obsession with the beanie. This simple accessory transcends styles and is worn by hip Dalston creatives as well as the fashion-forward West London commuters. You can find them at a large variety of retailers in rainbows of colours and a plethora of materials, with bold slogans or embellished with crystals, but these are the archetypal hats that caught Twin‘s attention.
To kick off the new year, The Feminist Library will be hosting a variety of talks, workshops and story-sharing as part of the recently launched Women’s Studies Without Walls — an initiative set out to encourage further exploration into feminist issues through learning and sharing skills, experience, and information. This weekend’s events will focus on the topic of ‘The Personal is Political’ and will feature film shows, feminist fiction writing workshops, women’s self defence classes and a wide range of open discussions.
WSWW commences this Saturday followed by a weekly series of evening events at the Feminist Library. For further information or to view the full program visit feministlibrary.co.uk.
For most people, the Louis Vuitton brand name immediately conjures up images of those infamous, and often copied, interlocking L and V letters. But in fact, its little logo sister, the Damier canvas, celebrates a proud 125 years of iconography this year.
The first ever patented invention by the house of Vuitton, this discretely brown and beige checkered design has literally proven to stand
Since then, it has undergone several colour palette changes, but nonetheless is a universally recognisable trademark of the French design house. For this anniversary, the Damier has been given a neon-hued and athletically shaped makeover. Further proof that a luxurious classic never goes out of style.
SMITH/GREY is a young jewellery brand based in London and founded by designer Birgit Marie Schmidt and creative strategist Sofus Graae. Together they have won many awards and crafted collections inspired by creativity, that are not only made to the highest standard, but are intriguing, wearable, little pieces of art. It was their first collection for women, I Can’t Seem To Get Rid Of The Horses, that caught my attention and the latest, entitled Peculiar Things, that cemented that interest.
What initiated your love of jewellery? The idea of creating stories in small scale using precious materials for individuals who long for wearable artifacts to express their personality.
Tell me a little about both of your backgrounds… Birgit grew up in Vienna, Austria so she used to read Freud’s dream analysis and lots of Kafka which definitely influences her way of visualising her thoughts. She studied architecture before studying goldsmithing at the Royal College of Art.
Sofus is from Copenhagen, Denmark with a background in graphic design and came to London to work on visual effects for feature films which he was educated in at Vancouver Film School.
Together we have a wide-ranged background in the creative fields, which means it never gets one-sided.
How did SMITH/GREY come about? We met years ago and from very early on there was an interesting creative chemistry between us. Back then, it was very natural for us to discuss or dream up ideas or thoughts that we had come up with or discovered. This collective curiosity for more was a big factor in us wanting to work together, which led to establishing SMITH/GREY.
What was the initial inspiration behind the brand?The shared excitement to create something personal as well as a need to express our ideas. We were envisioning a brand that takes its customers on an inspired journey through our jewellery, stories and imagery.
Would you say that SMITH/GREY is a combined reflection of your personal styles? Yes, very much so. We have a similar taste and style when it comes to the aspect of the brand and products. We combine our ideas and abstract what we believe works best. Having your own brand gives you the freedom to create from your very own point of view, which is one of the greatest things for a designer.
Birgit, how did it feel to win the Theo Fennell ‘best in jewellery’ prize? It made me extremely happy! Theo Fennell is one of the great jewellery designers and to have him compliment my work, which I have been working on quietly on my bench for months, made me feel quite humble. It was the first praise the designs received during the opening of the RCA Final Show and therefore it meant a lot to me.
Why did you choose London as your brand’s home?Sofus: London really lives up to its reputation as a creative and inspirational hub. It is very natural for us to feel at home here with our different cultural backgrounds, and our creative network keeps fueling our passion to create new designs and experiences for our customers.
How would you describe your creative process? Does it vary when designing for men or women? We begin by designing for ourselves and then test the creative energy and potential in the ideas against what we think our audience would find interesting.
Birgit, who is mainly focusing on the collections for women, tends to be quite playful in both theme and shapes which is great as these collections are usually broader in range, encompassing both statement and everyday designs.
The men we design for often favour style icons with strong personalities when looking for inspiration. This means we have a different set of challenges when designing for them but something we enjoy equally.
Are there any jewellery designers you look up to or take inspiration from? There are many talented and inspirational jewellery designers out there but largely the inspiration comes from adjacent creative realms such as filmmakers, architects, writers and painters. We gain more inspiration from someone’s energy and storytelling than from the actual work itself.
What does 2013 have in store for SMITH/GREY? We have two new A/W13 collections in development. Both collections are due to be presented in spring 2013 so stay tuned for the new styles.
Throughout her seventeen year career, Viviane Sassen has captured a variety of flexed, twisted and distorted bodies often positioned in awkwardly angular arrangements, occasionally concealed, layered or mirrored. Whether she is shooting creative campaigns for renowned fashion houses such as Carven and Missoni, or contributing editorial content to prominent style titles, her work never looses the abstract and somewhat surreal message of the unexpected that is discovered within her independent photographic art.
In & Out of Fashion is the latest retrospective celebrating Sassen’s impressive archive of work produced throughout her career to date. Each of the 300 pieces currently displayed at the Huis Marseille in Amsterdam highlight the connections between her identity as an artist and fashion photographer.
Californian duo Deap Vally provides that scuzzy, raw, rock-soul sound that we’ve been yearning for from an all female band for quite some time now. Lauren Laverne couldn’t have put it anymore perfectly when she tweeted earlier this week: “There has been a Jennifer-Herrema-shaped hole in my heart for years now – These ladies might just fill it.”
Their newly released single, Lies, is available to download from iTunes now.
Sweatshirts are not just for lazing around – pairing them on top of shirts with heels is just one chic alternative. Whichever way you like to wear yours, there is a great array of designer jumpers to choose from and with the sales still in motion, now is the perfect time to buy. Especially if temperatures are set to hit just a lousy 2 degrees in London this weekend. Brrr.
There’s something about Katie. Each season she churns out an impressively comprehensive catalogue of work – consisting of both menswear and womenswear – leaving us all stunned at the sheer commitment and talent involved until the point when we wonder why we’d ever expected anything less from her to begin with. Eary’s latest collection entitled The Blood is the Life is a story of death and decadence. Neoprene and chiffon seperates shine with ‘Lobster Spaceship’ and ‘Corpse Bouquet’ prints in shades of midnight blue, ink black, fuchsia pink and blood red whilst metallic gauze shirts glisten against structured gold collar bands and oversized chain necklaces.
A Celebration of Cinema
Commemorating its tenth anniversary this year, the London Short Film Festival provides its genre with the same compelling spotlight as its lengthy, blockbuster counterparts. Showcasing the best of the UK’s independent film scene in venues all across town, from the ICA to Curzon Soho, the festival has divided the work of the nation’s rising talents into according themes such as Fucked Up Love, Femmes Fantastique and Youth Of Today.
Screening this Saturday, I am Dora by Jemma Desai is a special highlight. A collaboration with designer Claire Huss, the project is an ongoing personal study of fellow female identification, and the flaws and misunderstandings that come with it. This edition will focus on the legacy of Sylvia Plath. “Perhaps when we find ourselves wanting everything, it is because we are dangerously near to wanting nothing,” Plath wrote in 1955, and the weight of her words are studied in two versions of Lady Lazarus — Sandra Lahire’s 1991 film and the Mad Men episode — plus an ‘In Conversation’ discussion between Desai and psychotherapist Sandra Hebron.
Alongside this intriguing project, the short film compilations, documentary screenings and special events like Club des Femmes presents… The Art of Conscience: A Pussy Riot Fundraiser are all the more reason to get your cinematic fix this week.
The London Short Film Festival runs until January 13.
Was it just us or did anyone else leave the Martine Rose Autumn / Winter ‘13 showcase yesterday gasping for a pint? Patchwork Pub bar towels adorned with familiar beverage branding from the likes of Heineken, Stella Artois and Jim Beam created the foundations to bomber jackets, sweatshirts and trousers, which were layered amongst denims and jersey separates… Martine, the drinks are on us!
Boys by Girls: Lou Dalton
London Collections: Men began yesterday and kicking it all off for the boys were the girls: Lou Dalton was first in line to showcase the new menswear offerings for Autumn / Winter ’13, setting the standard for the entire season. Inspired by the 1980s Scottish film Local Hero, Miss Dalton presented a collection of slim tailored suiting and utility work-wear in hues of speckled grey, emerald green and oily glossed black with hints of heritage highland tartan thrown in for good measure.
Gucci Gets A Manga Make-Over
Gucci’s Creative Director, Frida Giannini, has collaborated with renowned Japanese Manga artist Hirohiko Araki, to create an exclusive Manga story that will be displayed in more than 70 Gucci boutiques around the world.
Araki took inspiration from Giannini’s 2013 Cruise Collection and referenced the house’s iconic Flora Pattern in his latest creation entitled Jolyne, Fly High with Gucci, which tells the story of Jolyne Cujoh, a student who inherits a keepsake from her mother’s Gucci collection. He stated “Frida’s beautiful Cruise collection with its strong colours and graphic designs set my mind racing the moment she showed it to me. From there the characters and storyline came into being so naturally. It was very stimulating to work together on this project.”
Giannini added that “I am quite sure his window installations will stop people in their tracks in cities around the world as they immerse themselves in the fabulous fantasy world he has created.”
The end of 2012 is soon approaching and many of us are beginning to look towards what lies ahead in the new year. Predicting future fortunes may not typically be a specialism of a fashion house but Kenzo’s latest collaboration will quite literally leave you spellbound. The Parisian label has commissioned graphic artist Michael Willis to design a deck of tarot cards entitled ‘PSY-CHIC’ – Clever eh? Each one of the 22 cards features bold pop-art prints based on the original features and symbols found on the ancient Major Arcana Tarot.
There’s a love hate thing when it comes to logos. While there’s undeniably something intoxicating about the prestige of owning a little bit of a label, from the Prada triangle to the LV monogram – or more recently we’ve been lusting after Kenzo’s bold tiger T-shirts – it’s an uneasy relationship that threatens to encroach on our feelings of individuality. How do you settle a love of luxe with a sense of rebellion within a mass media, mass market world? It’s something Phoebe Philo acknowledged so well when she took over the helm of Celine – delivering iconic items without the overt iconography. Stealth wealth became ubiquitous.
So, step in Selfridges who are reintroducing their Silence Room – an idea first dreamed up in 1909 by Harry Gordon Selfridge. as well as creating in-store oases for customers, a number of recognisable brands will be removing their logos in an exclusive collection of de-branded products. The unmistakeable Selfridges’ shopping bag, will even be going naked – albeit without losing their canary yellow hue. Enjoy the silence.
No Noise will roll-out to Selfridges’ stores starting January 11th.
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